Apparatus for electrical precipitation of suspended material from gases



May 11 ,1'926. 11534955 C. H. WEISKOPF APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION OF susrammn MATERIAL mom GASES Filed July so, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Charles WeXSXc Jf ATTORNEY Patented May 11, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ CHARLES H. WEISKOPF, OF HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T INTERNATIONAL PRECIPITATION COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION OF SUSPENDED MATERIAL FROM GASES.

7 Application filed July 30, 1923. Serial No. 654,790.

provide an electrical precipitator of such.

construction that the electrodes thereof can, be readily removed and reinserted for the purposes of inspection and cleaning.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical precipitating apparatus which is especially adapted for treatment of combustionable gases liable to involve explosions within the apparatus.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an electrical precipitator embodying my in vention, and referring thereto:

25 Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of the precipitator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the treater.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5'are enlarged partial transverse and longitudinal sections showing the mounting of the precipitator electrodes and the removable closure means therefor.

My invention is herein illustrated as applied to a precipitator of the horizontal flow type, but it will be understood that it is also applicable to precipitators in which the gas flows therethrough in a vertical direction.' The drawings show a single precipitator unit and as many of such units may be used as are required for treatment of the volume of gas to be treated and such units may be arranged in either series or parallel relation. The precipitator unit comprises a flue or chamber formed with vertical side walls which are constructed of concrete or other suitable materiahwith roof or top 2, and with a floor 3. The precipitator shown is especially adapted for precipitation of liquid materials, for example, precipitation of oily, waxy, or tarry substances, resulting from the distillation'of carbonaceous substances such as oil shale, petroleum, or coal and in such cases, the material precipitated from the gasesor vapors being of sufficiently fluid nature to enable it to flow under the action of gravity, the floor or bottom of the flue may be inclined as shown in Fig. 2 so as to cause the material to drain to an outlet conduit indicated at at. Suitable inlet and outlet dampers 5 and 6 may be provided for controlling the flow 'of gas through'the precipitator and for securing uniformity of distribution of the gas.

The top 2 of the treate'r is provided with openings 7 over which extend removable closure means 8 formed as covers or lids which have down-turned flanges 9 extending into troughs 10 which may contain a sealing liquid or finely divided solid material adapted to seal the joint between these parts, but to permit easy removal of the covers for inspection and repair of the electrodes hereinafter described, the openings 7 and the covers therefor being of suflicient dimensions to enable withdrawal and insertion of the electrode body through the openings when the covers are removed. This mounting of the covers is also a safeguard in case of an explosion when working with combustible gases such as above referred to for the reason that in. case of explosion, the covers'are lifted by the expansion of the gas within the treater and allow the escapeof such gas in such a ma ier as to avoid undue explosive pressure in the treater chamber.

Collecting electrodes are provided extending longitudinally in the precipitator chamber, said collecting electrodes consisting for example of vertical plates or sheets 12 of metal or conducting material which are provided at-their upper ends with top bars 13 adapted to rest on lugs 14 extending from beams 15 which are attached to and form a part of the support for the roof or topof the precipitator. Each collecting electrode may be provided with two top bars formed as angle irons whose horizontal flanges extend outwardly in opposite direction and rest on two opposing lugs 14 and are spaced apart sufliciently to enable the collecting electrodes to he slipped down between them. The lower end of each collecting electrode extends between two angle irons 16 which 105 are mounted on cross bars 17 so as to hold the collectingelectrodes in spaced position while permitting expansion and contraction and also permitting the electrodes to be withdrawn vertically upward.

The discharge electrode system is mounted on insulators 18 enclosed in suitable insulator boxes 19 and supporting cross beams 20 from which hang suspension bars 21 which are provided with upper and lower brackets 22 and 23 for supporting and spacing discharge electrodes. Upper bracket 22 is provided with a beam formed as an angle iron 24 extending transversely of the precipitator, and being adapted to support the discharge electrodes. Each discharge electrode comprises a frame formed with horizontal bars 27 and vertical side bars 28 rigidly secured together and discharge electrode members 25 formed as wires, rods, or chains or other conducting elements which are secured to said frame so as to extend across the same in either horizontal direction as shown or 1n vertical direction as may be desired. In the drawing these discharge electrode elements are shown as fine wires which are secured to the side bars 28 of the discharge electrode frame. Each discharge electrode frame is further provided with a lug 30 extending outwardly from each side bar thereof'and adapted to rest on the supporting beam 24 aforesaid. The discharge electrodes are spaced apart at their upper ends by engagement of said lugs in notches 31 in a plate 32, see Figs. 4 and 5, secured to the plate 24, and at their lower ends by lugs 33 on the side bars 28 engaging in notches 34 in a plate 35 which is secured to the lower bracket 23 aforesaid and extends across the precipitator flue. Connection is made from the discharge electrodes system by wire 37 to a switch 38, said switch being in connection by wire 39 with any suitable source of high potential unidirectional electric current supplied, for example, from the secondary of a step-up transformer through a mechanical rectifying device according to the usual practice in the art ofelectrical precipitation. The collecting electrodes are grounded as indicated at 40.

In the operation of the apparatus, the gas to be treated, for example, gases and vapors resulting from the distillation of oil shale petroleum, or other carbonaceous material, are passed through the precipitator fine in a horizontal direction, the passage of such gas and vapor being controlled by op eration of the dampers 5 and 6. By means of the electric connections aforesaid a high potential difference-is maintained between discharge,. and collecting electrode members with-the result. that asile'ht electric'di'scharge is produced Jfrotm thedischarge electrodes and an electric-static field of high 100- tential difference is maintained betweenv the discharge ahd'coll'ectingelctrods. "By the operation of such electric discharge and electro-static field the suspended materials in the gases, for example, particles of tar', or oil or other liquid which are suspended in and carried by the gas and vapors are caused to be precipitated upon the electrodes, mainly on the collecting electrodes. A considerable portion of the material so precipiflue may be raised, the dampers 5 and 6 be-.

ing closed at this time to shutoff the supply of gas and vapors and the collecting electrodes and the discharge electrodes can be raised bodily off their supports and up through the openings in the top of the precipitator flue, and after cleaning can be replaced in a similar manner and the cover again put in place. As both the discharge and collecting electrodes rest freely on their supports'they may be raised and removed in the manner above described without necessity of loosening any fastening means, and may be reset into position for operation with a minimum of labor and loss of time. In order to permit removal of the discharge electrodes the upper lugs 30 may project somewhat further than the lower lugs 33 and the upper supports 24 and spacing means 32 may be placed at a sufficient distance from the edge of the discharge electrode frame to permit lugs 33 to clear said supports, as shown in Fig. 5. It is possible, however, to make the upper and lower lugs 30 and 33 of the same size, in which case it is only necessary to turn or twist the discharge electrodes horizontally in removing the same so as to permit lug 33 to clear the upper supporting and spacing means.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In an electrical precipitator a gas receiving chamber, supports mounted in said chamber, electrodes mounted onsaid supports to rest freely thereon, said precipitator chamber being rovided with an opening in its top throng which said electrodes may be removed bodily, said electrodes being mounted for free withdrawal from said supports upwardly through said opening and removable'closiire means forsai'd 0p ening.- V 22 In: an electrical precipitator 'a 'gasfrec'eiv'ing chamber, rounded supports mounted insaid ch'am er, collecting electrodes moufitea on' said su ports-w" rest freely III thereon, said precipitator chamber lbein provided with an opening in its top throug which said collecting electrodes may be removed bodily, said electrodes being mounted for free withdrawal from said supports upwardly through said opening and removable closure means for said opening 3. In an electrical precipitator a gas receiving chamber insulated supports mount-,

ed in said chamber, discharge electrodes mounted on said supports to rest freely thereon, said precipitat'or chamber being provided with an opening in its top 'through which said discharge electrodes may be removed bodily, said electrodes being mounted for free withdrawal from said supports upwardly through said opening and removable closure means for said opening.

4. In an electrical precipitator a gas receiving chamber, grounded and insulated supports mounted in said chamber, collecting and discharge electrodes mounted on said respectively grounded and insulated supports to rest freely thereon, said precipitator chamber being provided with an opening in its top through which said collecting and discharge electrodes may be removed bodily. said electrodes being mounted for free withdrawal from said supports upwardly through said opening and a rempvable closure means for said opening.

5. An electrical precipitator comprisin a gas receiving chamber, grounded collecting lectrode supports mounted in said chamber, insulated discharge electrode supports mounted in said chamber, col-lectin electrodes resting freely on said col ecting electrode supports and adapted to be raised bodily therefrom, discharge electrodes resting freely on said discharge electrode supports and adapted to be lifted bodily therefrom, said gas receiving chamber being provided with o enings at its top through which the disc arge and collecting electrodes may be removed, said collecting and discharge electrodes being mounted for free and unobstructed move ment independently of one another upward- 1y from said support-s and through said opening and removable closure means for said openings.

6. A construction as set forth in claim 5,

and comprising in addition spacing means n connection with the collecting electrode .to be removed upwardly from their respective supports and spacing means.

7. In an electrical precipitator, a gas receiving chamber, supports mounted in said chamber, collecting and discharge electrodes mounted on said supports resting'freely thereon, said precipitator chamber being provided with an opening in its top in which 7 said collecting and discharge electrodes may be removed bodily, and a removable closure means for said opening restingfreely on the top of the said chamber so as to permit automatic opening thereof for operation as a re lief valve in case of an explosion within said chamber.

8. A construction as set forth'in claim 7 and comprising in addition seal means on top of said chamber for closing the joint between said closure means and the top of the chamber while permitting free, upward movement of said closure means. I 9. A construction as set forth in claim 7 and comprising in addition troughs on the top of said chamber, said closure means having down-turned flanges extending into said troughs, and sealing material within said troughs sealing the joint between said flanges and the trough.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of July 1923.

CHARLES H. WEISKOPF. 

